A Classic Mid-2000s Yankees-Red Sox Slugfest Broke Out On Saturday Night And Delivered Us The Game Of The Year In Baseball

Brian Fluharty. Getty Images.

Make no mistake about it, the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry isn't what it used to be. The bad blood has vanished between the teams and as a result the intensity just hasn't been anywhere close to the old days. Well, Saturday sent us all back to the mid 2000s when every time these two squared off on FOX's game of the week it was appointment TV. Game recap blogs are a bit a thing of the past on here, especially for the regular season, but this one is worth a retelling. 

The Yankees have been spiraling for two months now while Boston has found themselves and surged right into playoff contention. Friday night the Yankees suffered a new version of their "worst loss of the year" after the bullpen could not hold a late three run lead given to them by Aaron Judge's 470 foot obliteration. It was yet another episode of depression for Yankee fans and left us feeling nothing but emptiness all day Saturday leading up to first pitch. Only a masochist could watch this team all year, endure Friday night, and show back up ready to be hurt again.

Then Soto and Judge went back to back in the first, sucking me right in like the schmuck that I am. 

Sadly this excitement soon evaporated when Marcus Stroman toed the rubber. To say he didn't have his best stuff would be obvious. Stroman had nothing to challenge Boston on Saturday night. He got tattooed from the jump. That three run first inning lead vanished in a blink. 

In the next half inning Oswaldo put a charge into one that was nearly robbed by a leaping Wilyer Abreu. Despite clearly seeing an empty glove, the announcer convinced me Abreu actually came down with it. John Smoltz probably wanted this to count as a run for the Sox. Insane effort, but nothing to show for it unfortunately. 

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Boston would continue to answer back though. Tyler O'Neill kept launching balls over the monster like it was nobody's business. 

Judge would later come up in a massive spot, once again facing reliever Zack Kelly. On Friday night Kelly's first pitch was greeted by a swing that sent a baseball to a place I've never seen reached at Fenway. 

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This time Judge roped a two strike double that drove in a run, but also saw Juan Soto inexplicably blow through Luis Rojas' stop sign to deflate their momentum. 

Frankie caught an unreal angle of the play from his seats.

The moment Duran played the ball with his bare hand, Soto had no chance. I don't hate the aggression if there were two outs, but with one you gotta play it safe knowing a fly ball ties the game. 

That certainly felt like the game. Kenley Jansen entered in the 9th to close it out. A clutch Ben Rice double set the Yankees up with a chance though. It all came down to Trent Grisham on his final strike who then managed to lift a ball just out of the reach of O'Neill in left. Tied up for the fifth time. 

Austin Wells drove in the go ahead run in the 10th, but one definitely wasn't going to get it done. Feels like if you're the road team with the new rules you have to get at least two. Gleyber Torres came through with the silencer. 

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No telling if that's Gleyber's final moment as a Yankee with the trade deadline looming and Jazz Chisholm's arrival imminent, but man was that a big hit. Clay Holmes returned for his second inning of work and redeemed his nightmare Friday night outing to nail it down and give the Yankees an incredible, stunning win that they needed oh so badly. Obviously if you're a Sox fan that one is a setback towards what you had going lately. Carrabis called it the loss of the year for Boston. If you didn't have a dog in the fight you had to enjoy the back and forth battle. 19 runs. 29 hits. Every starter on both sides had a knock. Just an awesome nationally televised baseball game with a true playoff vibe. 

The win for New York keeps the Sox at bay while gaining a game on Baltimore who continue to get bullied by the Padres. More importantly, it gives that clubhouse some actual confidence and belief. Do they still have issues? Loads of them. The pen is a disaster and the starting pitching isn't helping to counter it. Sure they've scored 18 runs over the last two games, but the offense still requires better lineup depth even with the addition of Jazz. They need a multitude of moves in the coming days to properly gear themselves up for the final two months, but a win like that can turn things no doubt. You just have to win tonight. 

The rubber match of this ridiculous series concludes on none other than Sunday Night Baseball. ESPN refuses to acknowledge anyone but the Dodgers, Red Sox, or Yankees so here we are. 

Tanner Houck opposes Carlos Rodon. Both bullpens are depleted beyond belief. Jazz Chisholm might be in the lineup. Other trades could go down before first pitch. But hey, it's late July and both the Yankees and Red Sox are fighting tooth and nail for their lives. Baseball is better when that's happening. Not good for my blood pressure, heart rate, and rapid hair loss, but that's the life I chose. If Rodon gets shelled I'll have no reason to live. Can't wait for first pitch.